Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-06-24
! iSHES,M
: N.HiStorz-' Of: Hd2ehfure
By ]. RIDER HAeeARD.


sWot ye why have brought 20 here To-
night, my Hollylp said Aycsha, leaning her
head upon her hand and watching the great
orb ns she rose, like some heavenly queen,
above the solemn pillars OF the temple. ~
brought ye-nay, IL is strange, but knowest
thou, Kniiiiiates, that thou Hest at this mo-
inent upon the very spot where thy dead body
lay when bore thee back to those caves OF
Kor so many years ngol 1t all returns TO my
mind now can see II, and horrible 1t Is to
my sight" and she shuddered
Hero Lso jumped up, and hastily changed
his seat. However the "reminiscences might
affect Ayesha, it clearly had few charms for
him.
II brought ye,n went on Ayesha presently,
''tlat We might look upon the most wonderful
sight that ever the eye OF man beheld-the
full moon shining over ruined Kor. When
We havo dono your eating-I would that
could teach thee TO eat naught but fruit,
Knlillrates, but that will come after thou
hast laved in the fire; once too eat flesh like
n brute beast-when 20 have done we will go
out. and will show you this great temple,
and the God that men once worshiped there
iii.r
or course wet got up a once and started.
and here again my pom fails me. To give q
string OF measurements and details OF tho
various courts Of the temple would only be
wenris0mc, supposing that Ind them, and
vet know not how am to describe what
we saw, magnificent as it was even in its
ruin, almost beyond tho power OF realization
Court upon dim court row upon row OF
mighty pillars-some of them Especially at
tho gateways) sculptured from pedestal to
cQpital-space upon space OF empty chambers
that spoke more eloquently TO the imngina-
ton than any crowded streets And over nll,
tile dead silence OF tho dead, the sense of utter
loneliness and the brooding spirit OF tho pastl
How beautiful it was and yet how drear!
We did not dare 10 speak aloud. Ayesha her.
compared 10 which her longth OF days was
but little thing; wo only whispered. and
our whispers seemed TO run from column to
column till they wore lost In the quiet air.
Bright fell tho moonlight ON pillar and court
and shattered wall. hiding all their rents and
imperfections in its silver garment, and cloth
ing their hoar majesty with the peculiar
glory OF the night. II was wonderful sight
TO SOC tho full moon looking down on the
ruined fame OF Kor. 1t was wonderful
thing to think for how many thousands Of
years the dead orb above and the dead city
below had gnzed thus upon each other, and in
the utter solitude Of space poured forth each
to each the tale OF their lost life and long de-
parted glory The weird light fell, and min
ute by minute the quiet shadows crept across
the grnss grown courts like the spirits OF old
ship-the weird light fell, and the long shad-
ows grew till tho beauty and grandeur OF the
scene and the untancd majesty OF Its present
death seemed 10 sink into our very souls, and
speak more loudly than tho tongues OF trun-
pets concerning the pomp and splendor that
the grave Ind swallowed, and even memory
had forgotten.
1Cone, aid Ayesha, after we had gazcd
and gnzed, know not for how long, ''nnd l
will show you the stony flower OF LONELINESS
and Wonder's very crown. If yet it stands to
mock time with its beauty and fill tho heart
Of man with longing for that which is behind
the veil, and, without whiting for an answer.
she led Us through two more pillnred courts
into the inner shrine OF the old fame
And there, In the center Of the inmost
court, that might have been some fifty yards
square, or little moro, we stood face to face
with what is perhaps tie grandest allegorical
work Of art that the genius OF her children
has ever given to tho world. For in tho exact
center Of the court, placed upon thick square
slab OF rock, was huge round ball OF dark
stone, some forty feet In diameter, and stand
Ing on the ball was colossal winged figure OF
n beauty so enhancing and divine that when
first gazed upon it, illumined and Swallowed
as it was by the soft light OF the moon, my
breath stood still and for an instant my heart
ceased its beating.
The statue was hewn from marble so pure
and white that oven now, after all these nges,
1t shone rs the moonbeains danced upon it,
and its height was, should say, a tride under
twenty teet. 1t was the winged figure OF a
woman Of such marvellous loveiness and deli
cacy of form that the sizo seemed rather to
add to than TO detract from its so human and
yet more spiritual beauty. She was bendikS
forward, and posing herself upon her half
spread wings as though to preserve her bal
anco as she leaned. Her arms were out
-
embrace one she dearly loved, while her whole
attitude guvo an impression Of the tenderest
beseeching. Her perfect and most gracious
form was nude, save-nnd here came the ex-
traordinary thing-the face, which WINS thinly
yelled, SO that we could only trace the mark
ing of her features. d gnuzy veil was thrown
round and about the head and Of itstwo ends,
orc fell down across her left breast, which
was outlined beneath it, and one, now broken,
streamcd AWAY upon tho air behind her
"What is shep | asked as soon as l could
take my eyes off the statue.
"Canst thou not guess, o Hollyl" answered
AYesha. "Wherc, then, Is thy imagination
1t is Truth standing on the World, and call
ing to its children to unveil her face.ps
Then, with one moro look at the yelled and
spiiitualized loyeliness, which was so perfect
and SO pure that one might almost fancy that
the light CT living spirit shone through the
marble prison TO lead man on to high ethereal
thoughts--this poets dream of beauty frozen
into stone, which shall mover forget whilo
live, though find myself so helpless when
attempt to describe it, we Turned and went
back through the vast moonlit courts to tho
spot whence We had started. never saw the
statue again, which ! the moro regret because
on tho great ball OF stone representing tho
world whereon tine figure stood outlines wero
drawn, that probably, had there been light
enough, we should have discovered to DO
map OF the universe, us II was known to tho
people Of Kor. It is at any ratio suggestive
OF some scientific knowledge that these woI-
shippers OF truth had recognized the fact that
the globe is round